Tales of Mary Read and Edward Kenway
by Phsbarbie
Summary: Edward and Mary Read, if they had ever managed to get together. PLEASE NOTE- I would LOVE to respond to your questions and discussions left in the reviews, but if the review is left anonymously I can't. So if you'd like to hear back from me, log in before commenting. :) thanks
1. Chapter 1- Edward's Speech

"What are you playing with, Kenway?" says Mary, causing me to look up. I'm sitting around the bonfire at Pirate's Cove, toying with a trinket. Mary's back in her James Kidd disguise, but now that I know her secret I can't help but let my eyes trace the curves she's trying to hide. I'd like to say she's failing, but she's spent years wearing it and those curves are barely visible. Damn it. She takes a seat next to me at the now deserted fire. I wonder how long I've been here, staring into nothing. I toss her the locket I've been playing with. She catches and opens it, looking at the picture of me inside.

"It belonged to my wife," I say. She clears her throat.

"Aye, I recall you saying you had one."

"Then you'll also be remembering I told you she left me long ago."

"I seem to recall that as well," she says, handing back the locket.

"The last time I saw her she threw this back at me, told me she never wanted to see me again. I had gone to her parent's house, trying to win her back. When she finally come to the door she said there was nothing left in her that wanted me. All these years I've been trying to make my fortune, trying to make myself good enough for her. Do you think she'd want me now, Kidd? Do you think she'd take a pirate king?" Mary scoffs.

"I think the woman doesn't sound like much fun," she says, taking a swig of her rum and passing the bottle to me. I hold it, but don't drink.

"She wasn't. We fought a lot, too. She was from a wealthy merchant's family, didn't understand why I always wanted more, always needed more than a peasant's wage. But you know what I've decided?" Mary shakes her head no.

"I've no idea, but I bet you're going to tell me."

"And in that you are correct. I've decided I don't want to be good enough for her. I'm not going back to England. I think I'll stay here and continue being a pirate king."

"Cheers to that," she says, swiping the bottle back and taking a drink. I study her features in profile as she watches the fire. She really is quite beautiful. I guess no one noticed because no one wanted to be found studying the face of a teenage boy. Speaking of which...

"And what of you, Mary?" She has a dagger at my throat before I can blink.

"Don't call me that, Kenway. Anyone could overhear."

"Relax, _Kidd,_ we're the only ones left on the beach." She turns her head to look around and I use that moment of distraction to roll her underneath my body and pin her to the sand.

"What do you think you're doing, Edward? Anyone could walk by and think you've spent too many months at sea. There's a whorehouse not a mile from here, go get one of them to wet your whistle," she says, but her dagger stays in its sheathe.

"Aye, but I don't want another whore. What I want is you." I cut off her laugh by covering her mouth with mine. She doesn't respond for a few seconds, but then slowly, almost lazily, rolls her tongue against mine. She tastes of spice and rum and fire. A heady combination. "Mary, I find you utterly bewitching," I say, breaking from her lips.

"Ah Kenway, you'll regret this in the morning," she says on a sigh. I grin at her.

"Why don't you let me be the judge of that?" I say, moving to unfasten her leather vest. She stops me.

"Think this through Edward. Someone, somewhere, will hear or see something and think you're screwing a boy barely out of his teens, if that." I shrug my shoulders.

"You know as well as I that half the pirates in Nassau use each other for companionship on the sea."

"That's different, we're on the land." I roll my eyes.

"Okay, it's been thought through. Moving on," I say, moving for her vest again. Once again, she stops me.

"And what of your wife, hmm? What of Caroline?" she asks.

"Were you listening to me not five minutes past? I just told you I'm done with her."

"A decision made on a beach in the middle of the night, when you've had too much rum."

"Mary, look at me," I say, catching her eyes with mine. "I haven't had a drink all night." She narrows her eyes.

"Why not?" I sigh and roll to the side.

"Because I had some thinking to do and I thought, for once, I'd do it sober." I lay on my back with my arms behind my head, staring up at the stars. "You're always telling me that I need to do better, that I need to be better, but that's not the same thing as not being me at all. The truth is, Mary, ever since our paths crossed in Kingston I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. How you fight, how you kill... how you look when you're not pretending to be a boy..." She scoffs and I grin. "And how you're here, living your life as a pirate, doing what you wish, but with a purpose, with something guiding your actions beyond the next ship full of gold.

"I'm done with Caroline because I'm done being something I'm not, but I'm not done with trying to be a better man. And thus far in my 27 years of life, you're the first person to make me feel like that. Like I want to be better not just for you, but for myself." Mary is silent for a moment before getting to her feet and pulling me up next to her. She keeps hold of my hand and starts to walk, dragging me along. "Where are we going?"

"To your manor to find a proper bed. After the speech you just gave, one is required for all the things I plan to do to you," she says without turning around. I grin. Somehow, I think this is just the start of something beautiful.


	2. Chapter 2- Kidd's Terms

"Oh Lord!" I say, rolling away from Mary. "If that's what I get for a heart felt speech I think I'm going to have to start composing sonnets." Mary gives a breathless laugh.

"You start writing sonnets and I'll need a more active imagination."

"So, tell me Kidd," I say, slowing regaining my wits, "have you a ship to captain at the moment?"

"Not at the moment, no. Though I am due to meet Anne Bonny and Calico Jack. Jack's got a new ship, the Revenge, that I'm eager to put through her paces."

"Calico Jack?" I say, sitting up and giving her an incredulous look. "The same Calico Jack Rackham that stole my ship and left me marooned with Vane?"

"Come now, Edward, he didn't kill you. That's as good as knowing you'd be fine," she responds.

"I still don't trust him," I say.

"Of course you don't. He marooned you," she says with a husky laugh. I look out the window at the sun coming up over the open sea, spotting the Jackdaw in the harbor.

"What would you say to putting the Jackdaw through her paces instead?" I ask.

"I'd say you sound crazier than old Thatch. Everyone knows no one but you and your quartermaster touch that ship's helm," she says, lazily drawing circles on my back.

"Exactly," I say, turning to look at her. The lazy sensuality she exudes begins to fade as she props herself up on her elbows, allowing the sheet to slip below one beautiful breast.

"And what of Adewale?" she asks, causing my gaze to snap to her face. She gives me an amused look. "See anything you like, Kenway?"

"I see plenty I like," I say, moving in to kiss her. She puts a hand to my chest and pushes.

"Quartermaster. Adewale."

"Right," I say, sitting back. "It seems Ade has grown tired of following a man whose only care is gold. He's left to join your family of assassins, actually."

"Has he really?" she says with a smile. "He'll make a fine brother-in-arms."

"Aye, that he will, and I give him my blessing. However, that leaves me without a quartermaster." She raises an eyebrow at me.

"And am I to have his private quarters below deck as well?"

"Of course not!" I say, leaning over her, framing her torso with my arms. "You'll be staying in the captain's cabin, with me." I lean down to kiss her again, but she ducks beneath my arm and sits up on the other side of the bed. I bury my head in the pillow and groan in frustration before sitting back up to face her.

"And you don't mind your crew thinking you're bedding down each night with a teenage boy?" she asks, with that same damned eyebrow raised.

"Why would they think that? I already know you're a woman, and I've never believed in that foolish superstition, so there's no reason for you to keep up your disguise. And any member of my crew that don't like it can be easily replaced." The eyebrow doesn't budge.

"You want me to expose myself as a woman to every pirate in the West Indies in exchange for a short run as your quartermaster?" she asks, as if I truly am as mad as Thatch.

"Hold on, who said it's to be a short run?" I ask.

"And who's to say it won't?" she counters. "Edward, I won't be following a man who's heart is set on gold alone any more than Ade."

"But I'm-"

"Trying to change," she interrupts. "And that's admirable, but I'm not going to gamble my entire identity on it. If I stay James Kidd I can continue my life as a pirate if we go our separate ways. If I'm Mary Read I'll need to be sleeping with a captain, like Anne, or end up a tavern wench. Neither of those are acceptable to me. So you can take James Kidd on as your quartermaster, or you can keep looking." The look on her face says she won't budge an inch and I grin. I've always liked a stubborn woman.

"All right, Kidd. Welcome aboard the Jackdaw." She grins.

"As for my terms," she says.

"Your terms?" I ask, confused.

"Honestly Kenway, this can't be the first time you've hired on a quartermaster." Right, hiring a quartermaster here, not luring Mary onto my ship because of that thing she does with her tongue.

"To business then," I reply. "What are your terms?"

"I sign on for an initial run of three months as a trial period. As quartermaster, I'll outrank everyone on that ship but you, and I don't need you jumping in to defend me. It undermines my authority. I want an additional five percent cut of the booty above the standard crew rate, and the rule still stands that if you tell anyone I'm not James but Mary I'll unman you. Which would be a shame," she says, turning her gaze to my lap, "because you certainly do know how to use it."

"You'll have to try harder than that to make me blush, Mary." She gives me a seductive smile.

"I'm not trying to make ye blush Kenway. I'm trying to wake your little pirate so I can give him another tour below deck." I lunge across the bed for her, trapping her underneath me. When I go to kiss her this time she lets me.

"I accept all your terms with one condition," I say against her lips. She laughs.

"Edward, you're going to need to stop kissing me long enough to talk." I pull away slightly, but still close enough that our noses touch.

"I said I accept your terms with one condition."

"And what would that be?"

"That you still share the captain's cabin with me." I can feel her hesitation.

"Are you sure about that, Edward? It will do quite a bit of damage to your 'ladies man' reputation."

"Well, I couldn't very well sleep with you only one deck below me, could I? Not now, knowing what you can do with that tongue of yours."

"Oh Kenway, you don't know the half of it." I kiss her long and hard and deep. One day soon she'll realize she's meant to be on the deck of the Jackdaw, sailing beside me for the rest of our days. Until I can convince her of that my reputation will just have to take the hit. It's a small price to pay for laying claim to Mary Read.


	3. Chapter 3- Ade's Offer

"You can't leave me Mary," I say, unpacking the few belongings from her bag. "It's only been two months, you promised me three." She makes a noise of frustration.

"For the last time Kenway, I am not leaving you! One of my targets has surfaced and I need to take him out before he goes to ground. Quit being a baby. I'll only be gone a week, and Adewale has volunteered to fill my place until I get back."

"Tell Ade not to bother," I sulk. "We'll spend the week in Kingston. Perhaps visit some of the new whorehouses." I'm poking her for a reaction. I'm hoping maybe she'll fly into a rage, or perhaps beg me not to. Or, even better, decide not to go after all. I get none of these.

"You can do as you like, Edward," she says, rolling her words together in a way that is uniquely Mary, "but if you spend the week trolling for whores the only person you'll get back on this ship is James Kidd. Mary Read will stay ashore." Leave it to Mary to outsmart me yet again. She's proven time and again her cleverness over the past two months.

She'd been yelling orders at the crew for less than a week the first time she had to put someone in their place. She was walking across the deck, headed for the galley, when John knocked into her with his shoulder. Hard. I think he expected the teen boy to go sprawling across the deck, but though she stumbled she stayed on her feet.

"Something to say, John?" she asked. She appeared relaxed at first glace, but I could read the tension in her every muscle. John scoffed.

"I have nothing to say to the captain's pet cabin boy," he spat. My first instinct was to leap over the helm and lay him flat, but I was pretty sure that counted as undermining her authority, so I resisted. Barely. Mary just laughed.

"Is that jealousy I hear? How long have you been waiting for your invitation to his cabin?" she taunted. John turned red.

"I would never-"

"Oh please," she cut him off. "The whole crew knows you find your pleasure with Simon on a regular basis." This was met by chuckles from the rest of the crew, who were watching with rapt attention.

"All I know is that after the black one left-" John started.

"Careful what you say here, Johnny boy," she warned, hand resting near her sword. "His name is Adewale." I tried not to grin. It's just like Mary to defend a friend's honor, whether he be present or not.

"Fine, after _Adewale_ left it should have been me or Malcolm as quartermaster, not some kid who's only talent lies in warming the captain's bed," he said. Mary gave him a crooked grin.

"Malcolm," she called up to where he was sitting aloft, "do you agree with this lazy excuse for a pirate?"

"John, if you can't keep your big mouth shut at least leave me out of it!" Malcolm yelled down. John scowled while Mary laughed her low, husky laugh, sending shivers up my spine.

"It seems Mal has no objections, which just leaves you. Ever think you weren't made quartermaster because you can barely tell port from starboard?" John turned even redder and lunged for her. Before I could order him thrown overboard, Mary had him pinned face first to the deck with his arm wrenched up behind his back.

"Listen closely John. I'm quartermaster here, and no amount of your bitching is going to change that. The way I see it, you have three options. You can keep running your mouth and get marooned on one of the lovely nearby deserted islands, you can hold your tongue until we get to port and find a new ship to crew, or you can learn your place, shut your mouth, and stay aboard the Jackdaw. Frankly, I don't give a damn which one you choose, but if you come at me again looking for a fight I'll slit your throat and throw you overboard for the sharks. Savvy?"

"Savvy," John managed to choke out. Mary released his arm and took a step back.

"Good," was all she said before continuing below deck. John shaped up and stayed on board, now one of James Kidd's biggest fans.

"Will you at least tell me who the target is?" I ask Mary as she repacks her bag.

"Do you remember Laurens Prins?" she asks.

"Of course, the slaver the Sage was working for."

"Well, his second in command has taken over his slave trade. He's surfaced in Nassau, looking to take on new crew without scruples. I'll be cutting his plans short," she explains, finishing with her bag.

"If you're going to Nassau then why are we docked at Pirate's Cove?" I ask, slightly confused. She gives me a look that tells me she thinks me an idiot.

"Edward, the last time you were in Nassau you blew up the blockade set by the king. Arriving on the Jackdaw would draw a lot of attention I'm trying to avoid." She slings her bag over one shoulder. "Now then, this is your last change for a kiss before I-" She doesn't get to finish her sentence because I already have her in my arms, kissing her passionately. She wraps her arms around my neck and returns it with interest.

"Please be careful," I whisper against her lips. She takes a step out my embrace and shoots me a grin.

"Ah, Kenway. I'm not the one you need worry about. I've got to go, there's a schooner waiting for me one dock over. Ade will be waiting for you in the tavern." With that she turns on her heel and leaves the cabin. I was lying about the whorehouse. I doubt I could even feign interest in someone who isn't Mary at this point. I head toward the tavern to find my old quartermaster and closest friend already settled at a table with a drink in hand. He smiles and waves when he sees me, then gestures at the seat across from him.

"Kenway! it's good to see your ugly face again Breddah," he says, clasping my arm across the table.

"And yours as well, Ade," I reply, signaling the tavern wench for a drink. "Though I'm surprised you volunteered to fill Kidd's spot for the week. You were very clear about how you felt when you were leaving."

"That's true, but, uh, _James_ has sent word that your attempts to care for more than gold are coming along nicely." I smile at that.

"I have been trying, though gold is still near the top of my list," I say.

"I won't begrudge you that," replies Ade. "So, what are we doing this week? Taking down a convoy? Diving for shipwrecks? Hunting the white whale that's been spotted not far from here?"

"Actually, Ade, I thought I'd just take the week off. We'll be staying here at the Cove. I'll be fixing up the manor house if you'd like to stay and join me." Ade looks at me for a moment before he bursts out laughing.

"I never thought I'd see the day, Kenway. I believe I know what you now value more than gold." I take a swig of the rum the barmaid's just put down in front of me. His laughter dies out.

"I see. You wish to be accompanying him on this."

"What if something happens to he-_him_," I say, catching myself before saying her, "and I'm not there to help? What if something happens, and Kidd's gone for good?" Ade takes another drink.

"There is a way for you to be able to accompany Kidd to all his targets," he says.

"There is?" I ask, my interest piqued.

"Of course," responds Ade. "All you have to do is join the Assassins."


	4. Chapter 4- Kiddway's Game

"Ah, Kenway, you really aren't any good at this, are you?" asks Mary, laughing at me from beside the haystack. I want to groan in frustration. It is impossible to sneak up on this woman! Instead, I hook her around the waist and pull her into the haystack with me, kissing her as soon as she lands beside me. Mary Read has become my obsession.

"Of course I'm good at this," I say after releasing her lips. "I _have_ been doing this for years, assassin training or no, and I've not been caught once."

"And yet I've managed to catch you every time. Why is that?" she asks, her eyes now sparkling with amusement.

"Two reasons," I say, pressing a kiss to her neck. "One, because you are better than they were."

"Flattery won't get you out of training, Kenway," she tells me, accompanied by a look that tells me I'm an idiot if I think otherwise.

"And two," I continue as if she hasn't spoken, "you're expecting me. You can't sneak up on anyone if they know when you're coming." Her eyes light up and narrow at the same time, the way they do when she's been issued a challenge. Pair that with the wicked grin on her face and I have a feeling I'm going to regret my last statement.

"Is that right, Kenway? So if I gave you an area to patrol and told you I'd be coming for ye, I couldn't sneak up on ya?" I pluck up my confidence.

"No, you couldn't." There's laughter in her eyes.

"I'll make you a deal, Edward. If you can catch me even once out of five tries I'll agree you don't need more training. We can be back on the Jackdaw today. But if you can't, you quit your bitching and finish your training to my standards. Deal?" My grin matches her. I've studied Mary. I know how she moves, how she fights, how she likes to be touched in the middle of the night. I'll be able to catch her on the first try.

"Deal," I say, shaking her hand.

"Good." She pushes me out of the haystack. "Then get going." The area she gives me is smaller than the one I had to hunt her in. This will be a piece of cake. At least, I think so until I feel the tap on my shoulder. I spin to find Mary standing there with her arms crossed, looking unimpressed.

"That's one," she says.

"I was getting the lay of the land," I protest. "I don't know this island the way you do." She raises an eyebrow and stalks away without another word. I resume my patrol. Ten minutes later I feel her pressed against my back.

"That's two," she whispers in my ear. She melts away and I try again. I'm walking by a building when I hear something land in the nearby haystack. I grin. Got her. I head over to the haystack and start to look through it when there's another tap on my shoulder from the clearing behind me.

"Three," says Mary, trying not to laugh. I glare at her over my shoulder. "Ready to admit defeat, Kenway?"

"Never." She shrugs and retreats, ready to start again. Number four comes quickly after that and I'm beginning to curse the day I met Mary Read.

On our fifth go round I hear another sound in the haystack and smile to myself. She can't really think I'd fall for it again, can she? I've got you now, Mary. I approach the haystack, but at the last moment spin around to face the clearing, finding... nothing. Before I realize what's happening I'm falling backwards into the haystack beside a laughing Mary.

"Well Edward, it seems we're right back to where we began," she says smugly. I try to be mad, but end up laughing along with her.

"Ah Mary, I do love you," I say before I realize what I'm saying. I freeze, expecting Mary to stiffen or perhaps even run. She does neither, simply rolling her eyes before giving me a look.

"Kenway, don't use that word until you know what it means." I'm taken aback. She thinks I don't know what love means? I'm saved having to mount some sort of a defense by the sounds of Adewale looking for her.

"Mary! Mary Read! Where are you?" She rolls out of our hiding spot, getting to her feet and brushing off the hay.

"I'm here, Ade. What's wrong?" He pauses.

"Where's Kenway?"

"Right here," I say, making my own appearance. He rolls his eyes.

"Do the two of you have to play 'hide the pirate' everywhere? Never mind, I don't want to know and this is important. The _Revenge_ has been captured. Anne Bonny is up on charges of pirating." I still haven't gotten used to the speed at which Mary's easy going demeanor can disappear. Her laughing eyes are hard as stone now and there's no smile dancing on the edges of those lips.

"Where is she?"

"Kingston. We have four days until she goes before the judge." Mary turns to me without hesitation.

"It seems your training is done after all, Kenway. The Jackdaw can get us there in time if we leave immediately." I nod.

"Ade, are you coming with us?" I ask. He shakes his head.

"No, Breddah. I'll follow with Ah Tabai. We don't have anything as fast as the Jackdaw, but we'll be right behind ye," he says, gesturing towards Mary, who's already halfway down the path leading to the Jackdaw.

We manage to catch the right winds and dock in Kingston the morning of Anne's trial. The courtyard it's held in is full of people and we blend in on a bench near the back. They bring her out clapped in irons while she looks on in defiance, a look that doesn't change as the charges are read and she's sentenced to death. I feel Mary's muscles tense next to me and I know she's trying to form a plan to kill the entire courtyard and free Anne. Luckily she doesn't have to.

"I'm pregnant!" yells Anne. The crowd breaks out in whispers. "That's right, you can't hang a woman quick with child, can ye?" As I examine her more closely I find her stomach is slightly rounded. Seems Anne had an ace up her sleeve.

"Quiet!" yells the judge. "If what you claim _is_ true, then your execution will be stayed. But only until your term is up!" Anne is led away with a smile on her ever defiant face while Mary and I slink back to the ship.

"What now?" I ask once we've reached the cabin.

"Anne's bought us a bit of time," she says. "We wait for Ade and Ah Tabai. Between the lot of us we'll be able to come up with a plan to spring her." I sit down on the bed, stunned by the day's events, while Mary begins to pace. Death? They sentenced sweet Anne Bonny to death for a bit of pirating? I study Mary as she walks. Is that what would happen to her if we were caught?

"Mary, if we ever get caught I want you to plead your belly," I say earnestly. She glances over at me and scoffs.

"For that to work there'd need to be a babe in it, wouldn't there?" I grab her hand as she passes me and pull her to stand between my knees.

"I'm serious, Kidd. It would take them a few weeks to figure out that you're not with child, long enough for me to mount a rescue." She tilts her head to the side.

"Edward, if I was captured chances are you'd be captured too. A few weeks probably wouldn't be long enough."

"Then sleep with one of the guards until you actually are!" I say desperately.

"Are you mad?" she asks, trying to pull her hand away from me. I don't let it go.

"Mary, do anything to keep yourself alive long enough for me to get to you. Promise me." She pauses to think before replying.

"And after you rescue me, what then? Am I to rid myself of the babe? Cast it away once it's born? Or am I truly to believe that you'd raise the child as your own?"

"I would," I swear passionately.

"Would ye now?" she says in a tone that proclaims she doesn't believe me.

"Mary, that babe would be the only reason you still lived, the only reason that I'd have you back here beside me. I would be forever grateful and love that child for it." She studies me for a moment before wrapping her arms around my neck.

"Okay, Kenway. Perhaps you know what love is after all."


	5. Chapter 5- The Rescue of Anne Bonny

"There must be another route in!" exclaims Mary, slamming her fist against the table and tipping over her mug of ale. I don't blame her for being angry. Anne's been in that dank prison for two weeks now, and we still haven't settled on a plan. Ade and Ah Tabai arrived a few days after us, and we've spent all our time since scouting the prison yard, holding planning meetings, and bribing guards for information. I've spent hours perched on the highest points in Kingston, using what Kidd calls my "eagle vision" to plot out hiding spots, escape routes, guard rotations, basically anything that might assist in this rescue.

We have our escape planned out; a path that leads from the back of the prison to the water's edge, where a row boat will be waiting. Unfortunately, we can't risk using that as our way in. On the off chance we're spotted, the guards would be able to trace our steps back, overwhelm our sentry, and sink our boat before we returned with Anne. Then we'd all be stuck in prison, if not hanged immediately.

"We need more time, Mary," says Ade, sounding frustrated but looking hopeless.

"No, what we need to do is get her out of there," she counters, beginning to pace. It's her go to move when she's frustrated. I take her place at the head of the table, looking down at the map, and notice something I haven't before.

"What about by boat?" I say. Mary stops her pacing and turns to me with a look that calls me an idiot.

"We can't go in the way we're leaving, Kenway. Jaysus, have you not been listening? I shouldn't have cut your training short, you obviously still need it."

"Pipe down, Kidd," I tell her with a glare. She returns it with interest. "Look right here along this coast," I say, pointing at the map, "there's room for a row boat to drop us and be gone again before anyone knows the difference." Mary comes over and examines the map.

"Hmm. That could work. What do you think, Ade?"

"I think you both mad," says Adewale vehemently. "With Ah Tabai guarding the escape route and a second person manning the entry point, that leaves only two people to handle all the guards, break into the prison, spring Anne, and make it back out again without anyone being the wiser. That's too much for two people, even the two of you." Mary's slow grin spreads across her face.

"Ade, I think you seriously underestimate the two of us," she says. Ade doesn't take the bait.

"Have you even looked at the distance between the dop point and the prison? See here," he says, clearing a spot on the table for the map we made of the guard's rotations. "There are at least twenty guards between you and the inner courtyard, a combination of stationary and roving. It'd be nigh on impossible for the three of us, so how exactly do you plan to manage it with two?"

"What other options do we have?" Mary counters fiercely. "Do you know why Anne is in that prison cell? Because _I_ taught her how to handle a sword. _I _told her she could hold her own on Rackham's ship. And now _I _will be rescuing her. We've been at this nearly a month, Ade, and this is the first plan we've come up with."

"I agree with Mary," say Ah Tabai, breaking his silence.

"But Mentor," starts Ade, but Ah Tabai silences him with a raised hand.

"I know you care for Anne, Adewale. I know you wish to free her yourself, but you must think clearly. This is the best chance we have to retrieve her." Ade takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly.

"Of course, Mentor," he says. I feel like my eyebrows are in my hairline.

"Ade and Annie?" I ask Mary out of the side of my mouth.

"First I'm hearing of it," she whispers in reply.

"There is no 'Ade and Annie,'" says Ade, irritated. "There is only Adewale looking out for Anne."

"Right. You got it, mate," I tell him. He rolls his eyes, but doesn't respond.

"Tonight then?" says Mary.

"Tonight," I agree. We spend the rest of the day planning how to get from the drop off point by the gibbets across the guarded yard without ringing any of the alarm bells. We finally agree to take the long way round, sabotaging all the bells and stealth killing any guards we can't sneak by. Ah Tabai leaves as dusk falls to ready our escape while Ade preps the rowboat.

"Remember, Edward," says Mary, "this is a mission. Keep your focus on Anne and off of me." I scoff and step past her.

"Don't flatter yourself Kidd," I say. "My focus is not always on you." I'm pretty sure we can both tell I'm bluffing. It hasn't escaped my attention that if Mary hadn't come aboard the Jackdaw she'd be in the cell beside Anne right now, if not dead already. There was no talk of Ade going in with her because there's no chance I'm letting her out of my sight in that place.

Ade slows as we approach the coast and we roll into the nearby shrubs. He doesn't wait to be sure we made it, he simply keeps rolling as if he has no ulterior motive. I look up at the gibbets and shiver. Mary's life isn't the only one that's changed. I might very well be locked in one of these myself if I hadn't changed course.

"Kenway?" asks Mary, breaking my train of thought. "You with me?" I shake my head to dispel the shadows.

"I'm fine, Kidd. Let's move." We make great time. Everything is going according to plan and we encounter little trouble, at least until we hit the inner courtyard. This is the one place we were unable to scout, unable to find any info for, and I for one am sincerely regretting that fact.

The place is crawling with their best men, elite soldiers and officers both. There's an alarm bell with a dedicated lookout, and snipers on every corner. In short, we're fucked. I glance at Mary to see that calculating gleam in her eye. I don't think I'm going to like her plan.

"Edward, I'm going to cause a distraction. While their attention is elsewhere, you sneak past and into the prison. I'll meet you at the exit." She starts to move forward but I grab her arm and pull her back.

"No." She narrows her eyes at me.

"Come again?"

"No. I can't let you do that, Mary."

"Ye said ye could focus on Anne and not me!" she hisses, giving her arm a tug. I don't let go.

"I lied."

"I can handle myself, Kenway," she says, her eyes spitting fire.

"Agreed, and normally I'd rely on your skills, but not here. Mary, I am not leaving you alone in this prison," I say, trying to keep my voice to a whisper and still get my point across. She sighs.

"I knew I should have brought Ade. Fine, what's your plan then?"

"If you go along that side to those officers and I move behind the jagers I can hit the lookout with a sleep dart before he gets to the bell. Then I can take out the jagers before they realize what's happening and you can do the same with the officers." She considers it for a moment.

"And the snipers?"

"If you watch, they have a pattern. If we move quickly we can strike while they're looking away and be in the prison before they realize anything's wrong."

"Hmm. Perhaps your training was complete after all," is all she says before slipping away to the officers. I grin before moving to my own place. The plan works without a hitch and we're inside the prison in no time, searching for Anne. We've gone down two halls, dispatching the guards along the way, when we hear her yelling at the guards.

"For the love of Jaysus, I need more water!"

"It seems prison hasn't broken her spirit none," Mary says with a grin. Anne's yelling has the guards watching her cell distracted, and a hidden blade to each of their throats does the trick. We walk around the crates that hide her from view confidently, only to be stopped dead by the sight of a third guard, his musket pointed straight at us. He smiles maliciously.

"Arrogant pirates," he says, his finger finding the trigger. Before he can complete the action, however, a blade materializes out the front of his chest. He drops to his knees, revealing Adewale standing behind him with a smile playing at the corner of his lips.

"It seems you had need of a third after all," he says, turning to pick the lock to Anne's cell. I clasp him on the shoulder.

"It seems we did, old friend."

"Thank the Lord you've arrived," says Anne, her voice strong but her appearance haggard. Ade has her cell opened in a jiffy and is helping her step through it, offering his arm for support.

"Come now Anne," he says, "we could never leave the best tavern wench in the West Indies in conditions such as these." Anne attempts a laugh.

"Well, in that case the next round is on me." We've gotten her down the hall and nearly to the exit when a voice from a nearby cell calls out to her.

"My bonny, bonny, Anne Bonny." The voice makes her stiffen and she turns to face Calico Jack. "Fancy seeing you here, love. How 'bout you pop open this cage door and we sail the seas together again?" he asks, going for charming. It doesn't seem to have the desired effect on Anne.

"And why would I want that, hmm? So the next time the British come calling you can hide below deck again while I alone defend us from the lot? No. It's sorry I am to see you here, Jack, but if you had fought like a man you'd not need to hang like a dog." She turns from him and continues on her way, not even pausing her step at his cries for her to come back.

We get her out of the prison and to Ah Tabai without a problem; it seems Ah Tabai became bored in his role of sentry and cleared the way for us. We're back on the Jackdaw within the hour. Mary is tucking Anne into our bed in the captain's cabin while Ade and I set a course for anywhere but here.

"We need to find a place for Anne to stay," says Ade, breaking the silence.

"Not Tulum?" I ask, surprised. "I had thought you'd want to keep her close."

"She's five months pregnant, breddah. She can't stay at an assassin's compound." I think on this a moment, feeling my ship move through the open ocean before responding.

"I have a guest cottage behind my manor on Great Inagua that should suit. What do you think?"

"I think it sounds like my pirated king has finally grown a heart," says Mary, climbing the steps to the helm. Ade nods at us and makes his way below deck, returning to his old quarters for the night. Mary comes to stand beside me, arms crossed and staring out into the night.

"Aye, well, I had a lot of help," I tell her. A small smile quirks the corner of her mouth.

"That you did, Kenway. That you did."


	6. Chapter 6- Mary's Decision

"Old Billy Riley was a dancing master," I sing, heading up the trail from the docks on Great Inagua. I shoot a friendly grin at the girls plying their trade in front of the whorehouse as I turn the corner towards the manor. "Old Billy Riley, oh, old Billy Riley." I hear a deep, rich laugh from behind me and turn to see Ade approaching me.

"Ah, Edward, ye never could sing," he says, falling into step beside me.

"I've no idea what you mean, man. I've the finest voice aboard the Jackdaw." Ade rolls his eyes.

"Speaking of which, I thought the lot of you were casting off this morning."

"That was the plan," I agree. "But I boarded my ship only to find my quartermaster missing."

"I see," he says with a nod. "Perhaps Kidd is saying one last goodbye to Anne." I bite back my smile.

"And I suppose that's where you're headed as well?" Ade's eyes quickly fly to my face, but it's a mask of innocence. Of course, he'd not be headed there to say goodbye. Sometime between when we left Kingston and arrive in Great Inagua a week ago, Ade decided Anne, being five months pregnant, needed protecting until her baby is born. And, as it happens, that he's the perfect man to do so. I pity any bounty hunters that come ashore looking for the infamous pirate Anne Bonny.

Ade's eyes narrow at me, as if he's not buying my innocent act. I'd be insulted, if he wasn't right. I shrug and Ade turns his focus back to the path in front of us with a shake of his head. I study his profile at a glance, and wonder how long it will take for Anne to discover he's smitten. Or if she knows it already.

I suppose it's none of my business, but a bastard like me doesn't make many friends, and I'd like to think I can count Ade among the few. I hope Anne realizes what a good man she has waiting for her. And if she can't find it in that heart of hers to love him back, well, then I hope she lets him down easy.

"And what does Ah Tabai think of you leaving his assassin's stronghold in favor of my pirate republic?" Ade laughs.

"Breddah, I think you're forgetting that you belong to the same brotherhood as I." I acknowledge his point with a nod of my head. "Besides, I'll be back to Tulum in a few months. By the time the babe is born I'm sure the king's men will have stopped searching so fervently for their escapee."

"Are you sure you'll be able to leave her then, mate?" I ask. Ade sighs.

"I'm under no illusions, Kenway. I'm here because she needs protection, and I'll leave again when she don't." I don't mention that any guard that set foot on Pirate's Cove would be dead long before he reached Anne at the manor. Ade can tell himself anything he wants, I know the look of a man craving a woman. It's a look I see in the mirror quite often. Speaking of which, I hasten my step as the manor comes into view, eager to find my woman and feel the sea shift beneath our feet once again.

"Kidd!" I call, stepping into the house. "Kidd! Let's go, it's time to cast off."

"Keep yer knickers on, Edward. I'm on my way," comes Mary's smoky voice from our room. I can't help but smile at the sound.

"We're already running late, Quartermaster," I mock. "Forgot how to lace up your boots?"

"Hardly," she scoffs, stepping into the dining room with her pack. My eyes widen as I take her in. This isn't James Kidd standing in front of me, this is Mary Read herself.

Her hair is pulled forward from its typical knot at the back of her head, left to frame her face and highlight her delicate cheekbones. The bindings constricting her chest have been removed and her leather vest is open, revealing her tattoo and a small glimpse of her curves. Her lips are rouged and paired with bright, defiant eyes.

"See something you like, Kenway?" she challenges, though I can tell she's slightly nervous. I step towards her and wrap an arm around her waist.

"I always see something I like, Mary," I tell her before claiming her lips with mine. She smiles against my mouth briefly before putting a hand between us and pushing me away.

"Aye, well, your appreciation will just have to wait. We're late enough as it is," she says, slinging her pack over her shoulder and heading out the door. I follow quickly behind.

"So is Mary Read to join the crew of the Jackdaw today?" She glances over her shoulder at me before continuing down the path.

"It seems that way, aye." She's trying her best to seem indifferent, but I can see it in the set of her shoulders, the tenseness of her body- she's nervous. I have two options here; I can comfort, or I can taunt. She'd reject comfort out of hand, but if I taunt her I'll prick her pride, offer her a challenge. Make her mad. Better mad than scared. I catch her up and start to laugh.

"Ah, Mary, I don't think I've ever seen you afraid of something before," I say, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She shrugs it off and glares at me.

"Bugger off, Kenway," she says with a sneer. "I ain't scared."

"Now, now, Kidd," I continue, my tone patronizing, "it's nothing to be ashamed of. It's a different world out there for a woman, a scary one."

"For the last time, you old scratch, I ain't scared," she says through gritted teeth. I continue on as if she hasn't spoken.

"It's to be expected, after all. What with women being the weaker sex. Don't worry, Mary, I'll be there to protect you." I move to wrap my arm around her shoulder again, but find myself flat on my back before I can complete the action. Mary's standing above me, fists clenched and breathing heavy.

"I ain't the one that needs protecting, Kenway," she says fiercely. I fight back a grin.

"But what of the men, hmm? What if they refuse to sail under a female quartermaster?" I ask.

"Then the bilge rats can find a different ship to crew." I don't try to hide my smile this time.

"You're damn right they can," I say. Mary rolls her eyes and gives me a hand up, but I don't release it when she goes to pull it away. "I take it this means you plan to stay aboard the Jackdaw on a permanent basis then?" To stay with me, I want to say, but don't. She studies my face for a moment before answering.

"Well, she's a good ship, with a good crew, and a captain who's proven his worth. And his heart." I take a step towards her and slide my hand through her hair, cupping the back of her head and holding her in place while I devour her mouth. She tilts her head to give me a better angle, caressing my face with one hand while using the other to hold onto my arm, forcing me to keep hold of her head. As if I planned to let her go. Sooner or later we come up for air and I lay my forehead against hers.

"I'm glad you've decided to stay with me, Mary." She gives me a small kiss before stepping back and retrieving her pack that's fallen to the side. She turns towards the docks and when I wrap my arm around her shoulders this time she lets it stay. I can feel the smug grin on my face and she scoffs at me.

"Lay off, Edward. I know the real reason for your excitement. Now the crew will know you're not actually into teenage boys." My eyes light up as that thought takes hold. I drop my arm down so I'm holding her hand instead and start to pull her down the path with me as I increase my speed.

"Faster, woman! We have a reputation to restore."


	7. Chapter 7- Edward's Letter

The ship rocks gently beneath us as I study Mary's face in the moonlight. Her hair is down, falling gently around her shoulders, and her breasts are no longer bound. She's taken the leap, revealed herself to the world, her life will never be the same... and she did it all for me. Well, perhaps not _all _for me. I'm sure some part of her will be glad to no longer be living a lie, but the reasons she gave for keeping her disguise are still valid. It's not like us pirates have suddenly done away with our superstitions.

If she were to leave the Jackdaw now she'd have a hard time finding another ship to crew, which must mean she has no plans to leave. The thought splits my face into a grin. That means she trusts me and, whether she'll admit it or not, she loves me too. I brush a tendril of hair off her cheek and she swats at me in her sleep. I chuckle. It seems Mary is Mary, even when unconscious.

No one left the Jackdaw the morning James Kidd turned into Mary Read, though that's not to say it was a seamless transition. By the time we got to the dock any timidness Mary might have been feeling was long gone. She retrieved her hand from mine and strode aboard the Jackdaw with no visible weakness, only strength. If I hadn't seem her ten minutes earlier you couldn't have convinced me she'd ever been nervous.

"All right ye tars, get this deck squared away! I expect to be casting off within the half hour." The few that weren't looking at her, that had only heard her voice, went scurrying off to do what they were told, but the ones that saw the person the voice came from... let's just say they weren't as responsive. Shocked and confused would be a more apt description.

"Kidd?" asked John cautiously. "That you?"

"Of course it's me, ye bilge rat. Who else would be yelling orders at yer sorry arse?" she demanded. John looked around him in wide eyed surprise, no doubt wondering if he was the only one seeing the woman standing where James Kidd should be. He seemed to find the rest of the crew's mirrored expressions comforting.

"But... yer a woman," said Mal, trying to get his head around it. Mary raised an eyebrow in sardonic amusement.

"What gave it away?" she drawled. "Was it the breasts?"

"Those _are_ a dead giveaway," I said, moving to stand beside her. I know she wants me to let her fight her own battles, but I figured a show of support in this wouldn't be out of place. John's frozen look of surprise transferred to me.

"Ye knew, Cap'n?" Mary snorted in derision.

"No, he's been playing beneath my knickers for months now and never noticed." When the crew just continued to stare she let out a long-suffering sigh. "All right, I'll make this real simple for the lot of ya. As Mal so astutely pointed out, aye, I am a woman. Me name's not James Kidd, it's Mary Read, though if ye'd like to keep calling me Kidd it's fine by me. As of right now ye have two options: ye can go find a new ship to crew or rig the bloody sails."

The sails got rigged. Besides a few lewd congratulatory comments to me behind her back nothing else has been said about Kidd changing from a he to a she. Of course, Mary has spent the last week pushing them doubly hard just to prove her being a woman doesn't change a damn thing.

I've never been happier in my entire life, not even right after I met Caroline. Of course, it's thoughts of Caroline that are keeping me awake tonight long after Mary has fallen asleep. It seems so obvious to me now that I wonder why my younger self was unable to see it; Caro and I were a bad match, simply not meant to be. The woman I'm meant to be with is currently hogging the bed beside me. I press a kiss to her forehead, dodging her swatting hand, and slip out of bed.

I head for the desk currently covered in maps and information about my fleet and pull out a quill and parchment. I've made up my mind- I want to marry Mary Read. The problem with that, besides convincing her to agree, is that I'm still married to Caroline. It's time for me to do what I should have done long ago and set us both free.

I wouldn't be surprised if she's already moved on, filed for divorce in my absence or had me declared dead. My life here has no ties to what my life was there. I could take Mary to a church tomorrow to marry and no one would ever know that in some far away land called England there was another Mrs. Kenway. I won't though. Not only would Mary throw me overboard for the sharks if I tried, but I can't do that to Caroline. I loved her once, though it seems like a lifetime ago, and she deserves to know the truth, perhaps get some closure from me after all.

I sigh and brush my hair back from my face. How to start this letter? My former salutation of "My Dearest Caro" certainly doesn't seem appropriate, but "To Mrs. Caroline Kenway" seems far too formal. I finally settle on "Dear Caroline" and am immediately stuck with how to continue. Do I confess all? Admit I was never faithful to her from the time I left England, that the only reason I'm writing now is because I've fallen in love with another and want to marry her? True though it may be, it seems cruel to say.

Act the noble soul, then? Setting her free for her own good? I smile wryly. I doubt even Ade would believe me of such unselfish goodness, even with all the progress I've made. Mary stirs in her sleep, reminding me that unless I want to explain what I'm writing and why it needs to be done before she wakes. I focus on the letter and the sun is beginning to peak over the horizon by the time I'm finished. I read through the letter once more.

_Dear Caroline-_

I'd wager you never expected to hear from me again, and perhaps you were glad for it. If so, fear not, this will be the last letter you'll receive from me. I'm writing to tell you something you've probably figured out for yourself by now- I'm not returning to England. I've built a new life here, Caroline, one I don't intend to leave. I suppose we were doomed from the start, you and I, but I want you to know that I did love you, once. I've enclosed a purse of gold with this letter to pay for the divorce, anything left over is yours to keep with my blessing. I hope you find someone to make you happy, Caro. I have.

Yours, Edward

A small hand pulls the quill out of my hand and scribbles something near the bottom of the page. Mary sets down the quill and nods at me.

"_Now_ you may send it," she says before turning to get dressed. The sounds of the ship coming alive for the day filter into the cabin and I glance at the letter to see what she's changed. I grin. It now reads "_Formerly_ Yours, Edward." Yep. She definitely loves me.


End file.
